‘Every action really does count’

“I FEEL so passionately about climate justice: it’s a travesty that our global neighbours in some of world’s poorest countries have to suffer most from the impact of global warming, when they have done the least to cause it.

“An important part of the work of Christian Aid is working with partners to find ways of tackling climate change, for example, by adapting the crops grown and planting drought resistant seeds and working with the communities to find solutions, like supplying long term weather forecasts to help with crop planning when weather patterns are so unpredictable “The climate crisis is a global crisis which threatens the lives and livelihoods of all of us, but especially the world’s most vulnerable communities . We have a unique opportunity as Glasgow hosts the crucial UN climate summit CoP26 this November, we need to put pressure on world leaders, demanding climate justice.”

Helen Hughes is a retired deaconess and a passionate advocate for Christian Aid, particularly their climate justice work.

“As long as I can remember, I have had an appreciation of the natural world,” she said. “I was brought up to respect and care for the earth and saw caring for creation as part of Christian stewardship. When visiting the local primary school in Lansdowne parish and leading assemblies with the infants, I tried to link to the themes the children were focussing on and often these covered environmental issues, which helped to foster in the children a love for the earth and to encourage them to want to care for it.

“In preparing for these assemblies I enjoyed taking take time to reflect on and learn more about the diversity of life; how we are bound together with plants and other living creatures in one great eco system, and that while we are just one of these species, we have a disproportionate effect on the others, both plant and animal.

“I was always encouraged and inspired by how responsive the children were and how interested in and full of wonder they were about the natural world. Parents would mention how the children were putting what they learned into action in their own homes, making sure light switches were switched off when leaving a room, not wasting water.

“But while I had a care and respect for the environment, it was during the 1990s that I became aware that the global environment was increasingly under threat, that global warming, caused by our abuse of the earth’s resources, was a serious concern, and that we all have a part to play by changing our behaviour and endeavouring to reduce our carbon footprint.

“In my attempts to live in a more environmentally friendly way, I am constantly being challenged to do more when hearing of the devastating impact of climate change on people living in the poorest parts of the world who do the least to cause it. And it is as I have become involved in campaigning for climate justice that I have become more committed to making changes in my daily living as do not think I can be asking politicians and others in power to make changes if I am not prepared to make changes too but I know there is still a lot more I could and should be doing.”

Brought up in a ‘top floor tenement flat in Aberdeen’, Helen says outings were always a big part of family life.

“My childhood memories revolve around family outings to the beach, parks and surrounding countryside and further afield when time allowed. Like most of the families I knew then, we didn’t have a car but made good use of public transport (including trams) when I was a young child, to travel across the city and to places like Ballater in Deeside or further along the coast to Montrose. I loved spending time at the beach and remember one summer when a teenager spending practically every day with friends there, no matter what the weather was like.

“Church was very much a part of family life. My parents were regular church goers on Sunday mornings and I attended Sunday school. I enjoyed going, liked the teachers, and have happy memories of Sunday school trips, Christmas parties and so on.

I went to school in Aberdeen, attending Ashley Road Primary School and Ruthrieston Secondary School, leaving school aged 16 to work as a secretary/ typist in the administrative office of the University of Aberdeen at Marischal College, then moved across the road to St Nicholas House, the city council offices, to work as a shorthand typist in the Social Work Department. That job taught me a lot about life – discovering the different problems many people faced when living with disability, financial difficulties, or poor housing.

“In my attempts to live in a more environmentally friendly way, I am constantly being challenged to do more when hearing of the devastating impact of climate change on people living in the poorest parts of the world who do the least to cause it.

Helen Hughes

“As a teenager I still quite enjoyed attending worship occasionally with my parents, but wasn’t interested in being further involved in the life of the church. However, in my late teens I began attending the Youth Fellowship. At this time my faith became more relevant and connected with my daily life and activities. Through the Youth Fellowship I became involved in the citywide Youth Fellowship Council, which as well as holding meetings organised occasional hill walks and other social events. At one point I was the Social Service Convener and helped organise an outing for children from a local Children’s Home and a Christmas party. I attended the Scottish Christian Youth Assembly in Edinburgh a couple of times and joined a Summer Mission Team led by a former assistant minister who had worked with our Youth Fellowship, going first to Arbroath and then to the parish where he worked in Dundee.”

It was a combination of these experiences that led her to her ministry.

“Through all these activities and the lessons about life from the Social Work Department, I gradually became aware that God was calling me into full time service, and in 1973 went to St Colm’s College in Edinburgh to train for work with the then Home Mission Department. I spent two years there followed by one year of specialised training, when I worked as a Social Work Assistant with the Social Work Department in Edinburgh. After training, I spent four years in St Paul’s Church in Johnstone, being commissioned as a deaconess in September 1977 and transferred to Lansdowne Church in Glasgow where I stayed from 1980-2002, and served from 2002–2008 in the parishes of Springburn and Tron St Mary’s Church in Glasgow until I retired at the end of June 2008.”

This was the time when Helen started to become interested in the work of Christian Aid.

“It was while serving in Lansdowne Parish Church that I became interested and involved in Christian Aid. As well as doing house to house collections during Christian Aid Week in May, the Sunday Adventure Club began to organise an annual sponsored fun run round the church building and we made good use of Christian Aid resources in worship and teaching in church, which I also used when taking infant assemblies in school, at Harvest and Christmas time, as well as in May. I like the way Christian Aid follows the teaching of Jesus and enables supporters to respond to his teaching by helping people in need of food, water, shelter and education which many of us take for granted and I like that this help is given to all who are the most marginalised, to people of all faiths and none. I like the way Christian Aid works with local partners, and in partnership with other humanitarian organisations, and that as well as responding with aid in emergency situations, there is a strong focus on sustainable development.

“I have always liked the way Christian Aid lets you hear the stories of real people, not just telling of a general situation in a particular country in which it is working. You see the faces, learn the names and hear the stories of the people, their families and communities, which is very powerful and stays with you. You come to know them as people with much courage, strength and resilience not as poor people who will always need to depend on others.

“It was during the 1990s that I became aware that the global environment was increasingly under threat, that global warming, caused by our abuse of the earth’s resources, was a serious concern, and that we all have a part to play by changing our behaviour and endeavouring to reduce our carbon footprint.

Helen at a Christian Aid climate change event

Through the educational resources you learn about the root causes of poverty, how people affected by extreme poverty are encouraged to use their voice to challenge injustice and you can be part of campaigning for change.”

For many years she was a traditional ‘supporter’ rather than a campaigner, but gradually Helen combined both activities.

“In the 1980s, I supported various movements, like the anti-apartheid campaign, though I would say the extent of my campaigning was more signing petitions, giving donations, and attending the occasional rally than being terribly active.”

But it was the anti-apartheid campaign that taught her that people’s voices, raised together, worldwide, made a difference.

“During this time I became aware of the importance of campaigning and what it meant to the people of South Africa who faced apartheid to know that so many people across the world, including here in Scotland, supported the movement in solidarity with them and that campaigning did make a difference. I will always remember the day, Sunday February 11 1990, when the news was announced that Nelson Mandela had finally been released from prison. I was at lunch with friends and soon after hearing the news on the radio we rushed to what is now Nelson Mandela Square in Glasgow city centre to join in celebrating with a large crowd of people.

And it was very special to gather again with a much larger crowd in George Square on October 9 1993 when Nelson Mandela visited Glasgow to receive the freedom of the city.”

The climate change campaign by Christian Aid spoke to Helen.

“It was during the 1990s that I became aware that the global environment was increasingly under threat, that global warming, caused by our abuse of the earth’s resources, was a serious concern, and that we all have a part to play by changing our behaviour and endeavouring to reduce our carbon footprint. In my attempts to live in a more environmentally friendly way, I am constantly being challenged to do more when hearing of the devastating impact of climate change on people living in the poorest parts of the world who do the least to cause it.

“After a Christian Aid event, called the Poverty Monologues at The Lighthouse, Glasgow, I picked up their leaflet which included a reply slip to send in if you were interested in campaigning for climate justice, which I took away, completed and sent to the Christian Aid offices. Very soon after that I was contacted by the campaigns officer from the Glasgow office and ever since then have been involved in campaigning with Christian Aid. In September 2016 I attended my first mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament. I was so nervous! “There was an inspirational talk from a Christian Aid partner who told us about the impacts of climate change being felt in Bolivia and spoke about how what we do in Scotland really can make a difference.

This was followed by a briefing session, going over the specific ‘asks’ we were making of the MSPs. By the time we entered the Parliament building I felt well prepared and enjoyed the opportunity to speak with MSPs. Since then I have returned to Edinburgh for a second mass lobby and in 2019 travelled to London with Christian Aid to participate in a mass lobby of the UK Parliament when I was able to speak with my constituency MP, Patrick Grady. In 2016

I first met and had the opportunity to speak with Patrick when he attended an event organised by the Eco-Congregation Group at the church I attend. Christian Aid called on supporters to speak up about climate change with their MPs and the event we organised was called ‘Eat Up and Speak Up for Climate Change.’ After worship focusing on care for the environment, we served lunch using locally sourced produce.

Following this we were able to share our concerns with Patrick and ask him what the Government planned to do with regard to climate change. Patrick agreed to write on our behalf to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and later sent us a copy of the letter he received with a very detailed reply. It ended with saying ‘The voice of faith communities is incredibly important on our climate agenda. The ethical values, local community roots and international reach of our great faith traditions can have a tremendous influence in the debate on climate change and in helping to bring about real and lasting behaviour change within communities.’ I found these words very encouraging and affirming, and echoed what the Christian Aid partner said in her talk at the mass lobby in Edinburgh, that campaigning does make a difference and our voices are heard.

And Helen urges more people to get involved during this key year for Scotland. “Every action really does count in the fight for climate justice,” she says.

“Taking action as a campaigner is easier than you think. Start with small steps, like signing Christian Aid’s new petition. You just click on the link and add your name and email to the petition online. You don’t need to leave the house or even buy a stamp!

And more opportunities to get involved will be added here over the year. Check the website or sign-up to get the regular campaigns emails. Say a prayer, as part of the global prayer chain, for climate justice.

Christian Aid, alongside Tearfund and CAFOD wants to fill every day, in the run up to COP26, with prayer for a world where everyone can flourish and creation can breathe easy again.”